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Original poster

I've been reported for fraud...

62 replies

Whatryourthoughts · 25/02/2023 19:54

I provide a service in the beauty industry. Have my own business. At Christmas I advertised a special offer for a service. I don't want to be too outing and say what this was, but as a similar example let's say it was 4 lash extension sessions for the price of 3. So the buyer would bulk buy the sessions at a discount, like a package. In the ad it said the purchase was non-refundable.
A lady booked the package and also booked in her first 'session' for lashes in January. On the day of the session she messaged me less than an hour before her session to cancel due to being ill and asked to rearrange. I said this was fine.
She has last week asked me for a refund for the money she paid for the package. I politely reminded her that the Christmas special offer was non-refundable and offered her a variety of slots to book herself in.
Today my card was blocked by my bank... having contacted them, it turns out I've been reported as a scam by this woman!
I explained my side to them and they said to go to the bank on Monday morning and just show my booking T&Cs and the correspondence between myself and this woman and they will unfreeze my account. However this had really freaked me and I'm really upset/angry/depressed that this has even happened. I partly wish I'd just given her the refund now, did I do the wrong thing?

OP posts:
MySugarBabyLove · 27/02/2023 13:52

The fact that the account is not a business account potentially makes the OP more vulnerable.

The banks are in impossible position. Ultimately there are a lot of scammers out there who are conning people out of millions, and the way the banks usually operate is that they will refund the money to the person being scammed until they have investigated. However if it turns out that the scam claim wasn’t legit the scam claimant could be in trouble in their own right.

But having a personal account means that all your bank knows is that you have regular sums of money going into your account. How do you manage the business finances that way? Are you paying tax for instance?

Irridescantshimmmer · 27/02/2023 13:52

The woman is reporting you for what she is guilty of as she's 'trying to pull a fast one.

Don't go feeling bad about this, she's the idiot here not you and *do not refund her.

If all customers/consumers were like her, all buisnesses would cease trading. People like her eventually get a kick up the backside of life eventually, if they don't change their ways.

CatOnTheChair · 27/02/2023 13:53

Great you have your bank account back. Going forward do you think it is worth setting up a second account, so business and personal money are kept slightly separate? It's scary how quickly the account was stopped, and lucky that it didn't create bigger issues for you in terms of other payments

SunnySnowdrop · 27/02/2023 14:06

Report her back. She actually IS trying to commit fraud.

RB68 · 27/02/2023 14:23

The recommendation is to sep business and personal money as a sole trader but it is NOT NECESSARY or a LEGAL requirement. THe bank will likely get you to set up sep account though now - although you should get some free banking for a while there is usually a charge. Nothing to stop you moving your account though - can recommend startling or revolut personally

LaRitournelle · 27/02/2023 14:34

MySugarBabyLove · 27/02/2023 13:52

The fact that the account is not a business account potentially makes the OP more vulnerable.

The banks are in impossible position. Ultimately there are a lot of scammers out there who are conning people out of millions, and the way the banks usually operate is that they will refund the money to the person being scammed until they have investigated. However if it turns out that the scam claim wasn’t legit the scam claimant could be in trouble in their own right.

But having a personal account means that all your bank knows is that you have regular sums of money going into your account. How do you manage the business finances that way? Are you paying tax for instance?

Plenty of sole traders use their personal bank accounts as for a small business it's easy enough to pull out the income and whatever expenses they have, there's no reason for it to mean they aren't paying tax.

OP it is a good idea to set up another account though just in case anything like this happens again, I'm an accountant and whilst it's not a legal requirement to have a separate bank we do recommend it (as above lots of people don't take this advice though!).

Sharpbridge · 27/02/2023 14:58

Wow, what a horrible woman! You did nothing wrong OP (as long as you allow refunds during a 14 day cooling off period, for internet purchases she has the right to that in UK).

My guess is she’s trying to get her bank to refund her and if she reports it as a scam perhaps they will.

Awful behaviour 😔

StarStarBrightShine · 27/02/2023 15:02

Ok, she hasn’t reported your for fraud, she wants the transaction cancelled to get her money back. That’s what she has done. She wants the money refunded, although she might have lied and said it was fraud to get it back.

It’s a real pain for you, but the actual Fraud Team, are not worried,and have just asked you to show your details at the Bank to prove your T’s and C’s.

People do this ALL the time to cancel transactions

StarStarBrightShine · 27/02/2023 15:03

Sorry person above said the same thing.

WeAreTheHeroes · 27/02/2023 17:27

Irrelevant whataboutery I'm afraid.

WeAreTheHeroes · 27/02/2023 17:33

Dammit - quote didn't work. My response was to @YellowDaffodillie

BloodyThursday · 27/02/2023 18:00

So did the lady get her money back from the bank?

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